Steam-condenser.



No. 686,432. Patented Nov. l2, |901. F. W. WOLF.

STEAM CONDE'NSER.

(Applicatign led Aug. 23, 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WV. WOLF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM- CONDENSER- SPECIFICATION Vforming lpart of Letters Patent No. 686,432, dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed August 23, 1901. Serial No. 73.005. (No model.)

-provement in Steam-Condensers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement; in the class of condensers in which the steam y to be condensed flows through a set or sets of pipefcoils while cold water is caused to ow over the coils to effect the condensation.

of the water over the same inrelatively contrary directions, thereby to subject the coolest portion of the steam to the water in its coolest condition, thus to attain the wellknown advantage of utilizing to the fullest extent the cooling influence of the condensingwater. Accordingly I introduce the steam into the lower end of the pipe-coil, thus causing it to traverse the same in an upward direction, and cause the cooling-water to Iiow downward over the pipe-coil, and to prevent the water of condensation from clogging the pipes, and thereby obstructing the course of the steam through them, I provide the coils with traps, preferably one trap at an end of each coil-section, to receive therefrom the water of condensation, and thus relieve the coil of the same. This feature of trapping the steam-coils, which constitutes my invention, overcomes the objection hitherto encounteredin attempts to utilize the principle of relative countertlow of the steam and cooling-water in steam-condensers by introducing the steam at the lower end of the coil and causing the cooling-water to flow downward over the coil.

- In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a broken view, in side elevation, of a condenser of my improved construction, showing a trap for the water of condensation at one end of each coil-section discharging into a water-holder; and Fig. 2 is a section taken at the line 2 on Fig. l and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

A denotes a pipe-coil, that represented being of a common form including a vertical series of parallelhorizontal pipes a ct, coupled together in series by having their adjacent coil A shall be greatest and that the pipes above them (each pair of which forms another section of the coil) shall be of smaller diameter, as represented, by reason of the contraction of the fluid as it becomes more and more The primary object of my improvement is to produce the flow of steam in the coils andl condensed in its upward course, hereinafter described. The coil is sustained on supports B B, from which rise standards B' B', having cross-bars c c extending transversely between the pipes of the coil to reinforce them. The device for distributing the cooling-water over the coil is shown as a water-trough C, supported on the upper ends of the standards B', and to which is supplied, as from a valvecontrolled water-pipe d, the cold water to discharge through the open base ofthe trough and flow downward over the coil, thus against the contrary course of the steam through the coil-pipes, into the lowermost yof which the steam enters at w, and from the uppermost of which the water of condensation enters a receptacle D, with which the upper pipe of the coil is connected at w@ Thesections of the coil A, each composed of two pipes a, coupled together by an elbow b, are connected, preferably, each from its lowest point and preferably also at a coupling b with thereceptacle D by a suitable water-trap E, represented as formed of tube-sections coupled together, though they may involve any other suitable construction. Steam entering the coil A at :c courses upward through the pipes a under subjection to the cooling influence of water owing downward Vover the coil from the trough C. The Water formed by condensation in the uppermost pipe a discharges therefrom into the receptacle D, and the water of condensation in the other pipes enters the traps E, whence the surplus discharges into the receptacle, provided at its lower end with an outlet o, which maylead to a boiler. (Not shown.) The receptacle D may be interposed between such boiler and its feed-water supply. On the upper end of the receptacle is shown the vent- IOO pipe e. As the traps will always contain water, of which they relieve the pipes a, it can never obstruct the steam-passage through the coil, and the water in the traps Seals the coilpipes against the escape of steam from its course through the coil into the traps.

While each pair of the pipes forming a section of the coil is shown to be provided with a trap leading from the coupling b, my irnprovement is not intended to be limited to thus trapping each coil-section nor to providing the trap at the coupling, and while I have described my improvement as applied to a condenser for steam it is also applicable with advantage to condensers for other fluids that expand under the influence of heat and which it is desirable to condense by cooling.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Acondensercomprising,in combination, a coil forming the course for the iiuid to be condensed and having the inlet at its lower end and the outlet at its upper end, a waterdistributing device supported to direct the flow of condensing-water downward over the coil, and one or more traps for the water of condensation, connected with the coil, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, a condenser comprising a coil forming the course for the fluid to be condensed and having the inlet at its lower end, a Water-distributing device supported to direct the flow of condensing-water downward over the coil, and one or more traps for the water of condensation, connected with the coil, and a receptacle for the water of condensation into which the upper pipe of the coil and said trap or traps discharge, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Acondensercomprising,in combination, a coil formed of pipes coupled together in series at their ends to form a continuous course through them for the iluid to be condensed and having the inlet at its lower end and the outlet at its upper end, a water-distributing device supported to direct the ilow of condensing-water downward over the coil, and traps for the water of condensation,connected with the couplings at one end of the coil, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination, a condenser comprising a coil formed of pipes coupled together in series at their ends to form a continuous course through them for the fluid to be condensed and having the inlet at its lower end, a waterdistributing device supported to direct the flow of condensing-water downward over the coil, and traps for the water of condensation connected with the couplings at one end of the coil, and a receptacle for the water of condensation into which the upper pipe of the coil and said traps discharge, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In combination, a condenser comprising a coil formed of pipes coupled together in series at their ends to form a continuous course through them for the fluid to be condensed and having the inlet at its lower end, a waterdistribnting trough surmounting the coil, tubular traps for the Water of condensation eX- tending from the lowest points of the couplings at one end of the coil, and a receptacle for the water of condensation into which the upper pipe of the coil discharges and with which said traps are connected at their outer ends, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FREDERICK W. WOLF.

In presence of- D. W. LEE, A. C. KITTLEsoN. 

